Oral Proficiency Testing in Special Circumstances: A Viable Alternative.

Reschke, Claus

An adaptation of the Foreign Service Institute's (FSI) oral interview test for oral language proficiency developed for use at the American Institute of Musical Studies' (AIMS) summer vocal institute in Austria to determine students' improvement in German language is discussed. The reasons for its selection over other major comparable tests are outlined. The FSI weighting system and five categories of proficiency are retained in the AIMS version. However, the point system of the pronunciation category is reversed to avoid penalizing candidates for good pronunciation, and the rating scale is abbreviated because of the limited proficiency needs of the AIMS students. Each student is tested before and after the German language course by two testers other than his own teachers. Over 1,000 students have been tested thus far. The average improvement in functional conversational language during the course includes a seven point increase in levels I and II, a six point increase in levels III and IV, and a five point increase in level V. This adaptation is suggested to be a suitable alternative to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and Educational Testing Service oral proficiency test in special circumstances such as these. (MSE)